This blog, Beijing Bound and Beyond, began as the story of the USA Field Hockey Team in our quest for Olympic Glory. It detailed the training, the travels, the triumphs and the timeless memories of our Olympic Journey. It has since transformed into a blog about my personal journey through life. I hope you will join me on this journey as I navigate and experience the world. Enjoy!!
xx rache

Friday, March 6, 2009

Can We Go Back. . . ?

What was life like before the internet? What was the first thing people did in the morning? Brush their teeth? Well, I don't do that until after I check my email, facebook, myspace, bank account,and news sites; I also sometimes wait until after the odd ichat and/or skype conversation. My teeth can wait. And as they wait, maybe, in the mean time, I'll get an extra dose of my caffeine fix, yummm coffee.

I mean was it seriously possible to keep track of all your friends before facebook? Before the fb, did you have real friends; I mean real relationships that required real conversations? And what was it like to have interaction without an audience (I mean, come on, wall and status posts are a total public display of how cool (or uncool) you think you life is).

But who am I to hate, I am just one of the victims (or am I the abuser?). I am an internet junkie. Come on, HALLO, you are reading my blog.

So for a day, I propose a world with no facebook, no email, and no mobile phones (or blackberries). An internet-free day. If you want to get in touch with someone you have to either pick up the land-line (preferably with a cord) and ring-a-ding 'em, get out the pen and stationary to send a post, or drive, bike, train, or walk to their home.

Furthermore, you must make plans prior to leaving the home and rely on those plans until the plan is executed. Translation: no last minute text-cancellations. And no caller ID to screen that certain someone's call that you said you would meet up with but really don't feel like it anymore.

Ok, so maybe internet free day, should be technology free day - so no GPSs allowed. Before making plans, you need to acquire all the necessary details - you must plan your travel route, write out directions, and agree on a specific location. Do paper maps even still exist?

Seriously, is this even plausible. I like to consider myself an idealist; but in this case I have to be realistic - I probably wouldn't survive.

I have been writing this post uninterrupted for the last 25 minutes. In FB time that is like eons. My home page is going to be abuzz with some serious updates. Please forgive me...off to be the abuser I am. All smiles here...